COVID-19 turns almost everyone into a "plantita" and "plantito", it's because growing plants in our front or backyard helps us eases anxiety during home isolation. It helps relieves boredom.
Add water, greens and blooms - you're on your way to a healthier mind and a positive outlook during these most trying moments of our time.
Home gardening indeed boosts mental health in the time of pandemic. It provides comfort to experience nature in our doorstep.
It's been almost a year since most countries have been placed in community quarantine and we're fed up with the length of period isolating at home.
So what have you learned?
A lot. I would say.
Life has been put on hold for the past 11 months. Normal activities were stopped and we're told to stay indoor. It was as if everything went black.
The pandemic taught me so many things about myself, about the world I lived, about life, about cultivating my passion because during home quarantine, there's nothing else that keeps us from breaking than working on things we love doing.
But we less recognize these lessons because we tend to look at the challenges of these difficult times on the other way around.
As humans, we always judge the situation based on how it impacted us at the moment, and never on the message of time. We look at things how it directly affects us. And the inconveniences.
Like now. The situation still unbearable in the Philippines. We're still in the same situation. Forever wearing facemask. Forever wearing face shield.
The fact that the Philippines has a very inept, disappointing response to the pandemic, worst in Southeast Asia, made everything so exasperating and intolerable.
We still cannot freely go somewhere to relax and have fun. It's still scary to explore because we're not yet out of the woods of the COVID-19 infection. The Philippines has yet to start distributing the vaccine jab.
This whole waiting period of having a vaccine shot started to get into our nerve. So much incompetency in this current administration.
But there's nothing else we can do other than wait. We are not in power to influence the decision-making of our corrupt government officials.
So we need to come to terms with this current situation and keep things moving for the sake of our sanity. We need to keep ourselves mentally healthy to get through the bad days.
Finding comfort in the garden
To keep my mind away from stress, I am taking my time off the social media and just focus on things that make my life profitable and worthy.
At home, I am finding comfort in our quaint garden. It's a relaxing place to spend the passing of hours, a calm area to chill when I don't have work or nothing much to do in a day.
It makes life smoother and calmer.
The view of the green plants, beautiful blooms, the bright horizons and our cats playing, helped may get through the difficult days during this abnormal moment of our time.
I spent many mornings and afternoons here. Usually alone, either working or just relaxing, watching our cats playing.
I love the sight of the bright morning sun spreading its golden thread among the plants and flowers. Life seems young again and at peace. Indeed, green plants and lovely blooms soothe exhausted mind.
Days become better and raw evening becomes calmer. At night, when I go to bed, I would think of the many possibilities I am still capabale of getting the next day.
It makes the last few hours of my consciousness softer and peaceful. And in the morning when I wake up I would directly look at the garden off my window.
The sight of lively plants and blooms ushers a brighter day ahead. It inspires me to love my life more and continue working on my life's big goals.
The ritual of watching plants grow
The past 11 months really felt like we are being trapped in a limbo, with no where to go but look forward to better days.
Everyday feels like a battle we needed to be fought. But with a few ammunition left, we felt like being so stretched up, fed up and exasperated, rolling and tossing and twitching, just to stay on track with our fight.
But this soothing view of our garden ties the loose end of my hope and concept of survival. It keeps depression at bay.
The process of watching plants grow feels like watching my hope for better days come to life, unleashing the promising buds of a great journey ahead.
Here, at this spot, things become so easier in a time when life outside hangs in the balance. A peaceful sanctuary for an anxious soul. A healthier nook for a confused mind.
The sight of the lively plants and gorgeous flowers help clears off foggy thoughts of an ugly time. It motivates me to dream a beautiful life in a COVID19-free world.
Yes, someday, things will get better. It doesn't have to be like this all the time. The environment will bounce back from these challenges and scare.
Having a home garden in the middle of the busy metropolis is like seeing a soul of nature offering comfort. Like a pair of protecting arms.
Lounging at this home garden gives me relief. The fresh scent of plants provide me a needed bliss and I am in my most calmest.
Breathing on the fresh air, watching plants dancing at the caress of the morning and afternoon breeze, give me a needed boost to my mental health.
Home garden lifts up spirit
There's always inspiring about home gardening, perhaps it's the presence of the plants itself. It keeps my mind occupied. The ritual of watering it everyday keeps me busy. I do not feel like being alone.
The pandemic shut off socialization opportunities and reduces our time to be outside or at the mall or having fun somewhere with friends.
But having a home garden fills the void of the feeling of isolation. It promotes a healthier mental sense because it keeps us busy and inspired with the sight of greenery and flowers.
It also provides a great alternative of staying out of the living room and allow us to see the world outside our bedroom window.
World Outside Our Window
The time of pandemic when most countries are in home quarantine, there's nothing more isolating and self-crashing than knowing we are not free to go out and enjoy life outside the four corner walls of the house.
Home gardening let us feel there's a beautiful world outside our bedroom window. Within the doorstep.
Yeah, there is, there really is. The vivid sight of nature laid before our eyes in the garden provides a breather.
It gives a comforting sight watching plants coming alive everyday. In the morning, upon waking up, I would look outside the window. And see the tiny blooms coming to life with its buds slowly opening up. It draws some smile in my face.
Even our cats love to lounge in the garden during warm weather. Gray especially. He is our rescue kitten and he likes to bask in the morning sun in the garden.
Watching this cute munchkin rolling over under the hot sunshine, draw some smile in my face. It makes my day extra fascinating.
The value of home gardening
We've so much to endure during the pandemic. So many lives have been devastated, borders were closed, job were lost, and door of opportunities were shut off.
We are being robbed off with our time to enjoy life in a free sense. But there's something about the pandemic that we need to recognize.
It gives us an opportunity to reconnect with our inner-self, to realize the value of life, and appreciate what we have in the environment.
It helps us appreciate that being close to nature at this difficult time eases tension and anxiety.
Thus, home gardening becomes a binding force that keeps us intact. It is the closest thing we can have for self-nurturing.
The soft whispers of green plants in the garden helps us realize that nothing beats the natural comfort and peaceful sanctuary provided by the mother earth.
Watching plants in our garden reactivates my mental sense. It soothes confusion clogging in my brain. It helps my day lighter, softer and calmer.
Home gardening, indeed, helps boost my mental health. It protects me from being morose and feeling ugly and sad. It lifts up my sagging mood.
Pandemic makes us tougher
The pandemic robs half of our happiness but it's the same situation also that gives us so many realization about life and ourselves.
It taught me how to become tougher through adversities. How to endure the moments of fear, anxiety and uncertainties.
I do realize now that with all the devastation of coronavirus everywhere, comes the opportunity to recognize life's essence and vulnerabilities.
That we should make the most of our time making things happen because we do not know how much time we have left in this world, we might never get this chance again.
On a personal level, the pandemic helps me wiser and tougher and more aware with my inner strength, more aware what the environment could do if humans continue to abuse it.
It also taught me to appreciate the strength and comforting arms of nature. That indeed, people can seek comfort in the peaceful sanctuary of lush green plants.
It helps me realize my personal limit, my triggering point, my mood swing, my views about the world and what I can do to make life worth living.
With all these difficult times also comes the shedding of some layers of my innermost self. My weak points have been exposed and my vulnerabilities have been uncovered.
But the same circumstances also that give me some clarity of my personal vision towards my life's big goals, it helps sign my inner strength, my toughness how far I could go during crisis and difficult times.
The pandemic polishes my inner courage I did not even know existed. My capacity to overcome challenges. And along with my hindsight for a brighter future, comes the process of realizing I am still capable of making things happen.
Gardening lets us feel calmer
The sight of the lively plants is like life in introspect. Soon, it will rise up again after going through a lot last year. It will bounce back and grow lovelier and happier.
Gentler days will be back. And we can be on our happiest state again, mingling in the environment, embarking into an adventure without restrictions.
Somehow, the pandemic had taught us the toughest lesson about life and the planet we live. If we care less, the face of the earth will also turn against us.
This situation makes us a little different from the past. Wiser and tougher. More discerning and self-conscious, more responsible and aware. Kinder and gentler but tougher around the edges.
Gardening soothes tired soul
Yah, it is. Gardening relieves anxiety. The ritual of cultivating plants, nurturing its growth and watching it bloomed into gorgeous elements of nature relaxes mind and releases tension.
Nothing amazes me in the morning than stay outdoor and relax in the garden. And have my coffee or tea.
Here, at this most relaxing and peaceful spot of our home, comes a wiser and tougher, but gentler me.
I have figured out what I truly want in life and ready to rebuild what I have lost, made up time what I have missed. And worked on things where I feel I am in my most happiest.
In a quiet moment, while gazing at the vibrant plants in our garden, I have come to realize that I should be more cautious with making crucial decisions in life.
I should be wiser at the same time kinder to myself. I shouldn't think of any nuisances in life that have nothing to do with my journey.
I should concentrate on things that have relevance to my future. I should be working hard now and push myself to achieve the things I've been longing to accomplish.
I am happy and in my most calmest now. I know what I want and where to start. Thanks to this home gardening endeavor, it keeps me motivated and inspired.😊
Thanks to my sister
This whole home gardening thing becomes possible because of my sister. She is gifted with a green thumb like our papa. She can easily grow plants.
She personally built this garden landscaping at home and turned our front yard a relaxing spot with all these treasures of nature.
She also financed most of the renovation of the house we lived in the city and bought all these plants.
But I helped nurtured the plants, checking them regularly, wandering through it when my thoughts are overwhelmed again with distress.
The view streets me back to my happy self and I am at peace again. Nature is truly comforting. And it channeled its essence of tranquility through home gardening. 🌱🌳🌷🌺
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